Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately delaying a ceasefire in Ukraine as it attempts to strengthen its military position on the battlefield.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Saturday, Zelensky said Moscow was stalling on a proposed 30-day ceasefire, recently initiated by the United States, in order to improve its leverage in potential negotiations.

Russia Delaying Ceasefire to Gain Battlefield Advantage
“They want a stronger position before the ceasefire,” Zelensky told reporters. “I think the delaying of the process is exactly because of what I said. They want to improve their situation on the battlefield.”

The ceasefire proposal comes at a time when Russian forces are advancing on multiple fronts, three years into their invasion. Russian troops have reportedly pushed Ukrainian forces out of significant areas in Russia’s Kursk region, which Ukraine had briefly captured during a counteroffensive last summer.

Putin Rejects Trump-Backed Ceasefire Initiative
Zelensky noted that by refusing to immediately agree to the ceasefire plan, Russian President Vladimir Putin was also rejecting the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for an end to the conflict.

“Today Putin is the one who doesn’t agree with what Trump has proposed,” Zelensky said. He accused Moscow of trying to find ways to prolong the war rather than work towards peace.

Kyiv Rejects Territorial Concessions
While supporting negotiations for a long-term peace, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would not cede any of its territories occupied by Russia.

“Our position is that we do not recognise the occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian in any case,” he stated, referring to the regions Russia claims to have annexed. He suggested that territorial issues could be addressed later through negotiations, but not at the cost of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Ceasefire Talks Continue Amid Ongoing Conflict
The proposed ceasefire was reportedly discussed during a recent meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Russia’s continued offensives in southern and eastern Ukraine, along with its annexation claims over four regions, remain key obstacles to a peace agreement.

Zelensky’s remarks underscore Ukraine’s resistance to any settlement that compromises its territorial integrity, even as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire to pave the way for peace talks.